1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cushioning member for the interior of an automotive vehicle, such as an armrest, an instrument panel or the like. It relates more particularly to a cushioning member comprising an insert of relatively stable shape and a cushioning layer of foam plastic supported by it, having an opening for receiving an inserted part such as a loudspeaker, which is accessible from the front and extends approximately up to a top resting surface of the cushioning member, and having a masking member which closes the opening.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, the space within vehicles is relatively limited, which frequently makes it necessary to provide cushioning members such as armrests, instrument panels, or the like with additional functional parts such as ash trays, air nozzles, loudspeakers or the like. Even if sufficient space is available for the accommodation of such functional parts, as is generally true in the case of instrument panels, then a problem may nevertheless develop if such functional parts must be placed in unfavorable positions in which they can impede the elastic deformability which is required in an instrument panel. In the case of an armrest, it is mandatory to provide a soft region for resting the arm, which, to allow for a vertical load to be placed on the armrest, requires a certain elastic deformability perpendicular to the upper resting surface. If such an additional rigid functional part is provided in an armrest, the result may be that the armrest no longer provides the required soft arm support.